Recommendations/Reviews/FS/WTB E Coat vs Powder Coat - no chalk

[vpiguy88]

Hi all! I'm getting to a point of moving beyond a 16kg bell soon, wanting to buy the 24kg and 32kg together because of the shortage.

I almost bought a competition bell, but understand hardstyle are better for S&S. That said, it looks like Great Lake and Rogue are both doing e-coat finishes, whereas there is the Kettlebell Kings that do powder grip.

I'm not in a position to be able to use chalk (don't want to get it all over the place), so would e-coat be all right just with bare hands? Looks like e-coat is supposed to be better in the long term, but I'm worried it might be TOO smooth and slippery without chalk.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[Alexander Halford]

Liquid chalk can be an answer to your problem. It will be easier to maintain safer grip on e-coated 24kg rather than on powder-coated 32 kg. Weight and grip strength matter more here.
I would go for e-coat.

 

[John K]

I train at home and use a chalk sock, which is stored in a plastic bag. Very little mess. I say this because. while I haven't used an e coat, I still think you'd need chalk at some point simply as you sweat. This may be minimized if you get some wrist sweatbands, as most sweat actually seems to roll down the arms to the hands. I sweat a lot so big difference for me.

 

[Oso Rojo]

I do hard style and only use comp bells. The advantage of cast bells are sometimes less expensive and the handles are a bit wider for two hand swings. The advantage of comp bells are they are all the same size so you don't have to adjust your technique as you jump up in size. Also KKBs make an adjustable comp style bell that goes from 12 to 32kg. If I were you I'd buy the Kettlebell Kings adjustable comp bell, sand off the varnish on the handle, and go to work!

I also swing at home in the spare bedroom. I got a cool climbers chalk bag from Friction Labs that has a magnetic closure. I chalk up over the bath tub and then go to work, No mess outside of the tub. I do like liquid chalk for chalking the handles of the bells. I sand my handles with P120 sand paper and leave the groove lines running the long way along the handle, running across my grip. You can't feel them with your skin, it just feels smooth, but liquid chalk will leave chalk in these small groves for a nicely chalked bell.

 

[offwidth]

@vpiguy88 ...
If you really think you need chalk then the best solution is liquid. The best liquid chalk in my experience is 'Secret Stuff' from Friction Labs.
(Personally I eschew the use of chalk when using KB's... and I train outdoors where the temps routinely exceed 40C during the summer months...)

 

[vpiguy88]

Thanks everyone! I got a 24kg e-coat to be delivered later this week, so we'll see how things progress. I've heard many people recommend liquid chalk, so I'll definitely be checking that out as well. Much appreciated from everyone! I've always struggled with getting over that 3-4 month workout hump where a lot of people fall off, been really excited about S&S 4 weeks in so far. Great forums and thanks for the help!

PS - @Coyotl I also sweat a lot, so thanks for the heads up. I gave Kettleguard wrist guards a try, and they seem to work well for sweat bands as well.

 

[hkguy]

"Looks like e-coat is supposed to be better in the long term"

Is this a widely held view, and are there any major differences? Is it just about how well the coating withstands knocks? Are there any significant issues that would swing a decision one way or another?

I wonder if I'm missing something in the powder coat vs e-coat question.

 

[Alexander Halford]

Is it just about how well the coating withstands knocks? Are there any significant issues that would swing a decision one way or another?

If coating gets damaged at the handle bad enough, your hand will absorb it in a form of a calluse or blister. Seems significant enough to me. Of course it's irrelevant, if you're confident about keeping your tool intact.

 

[Don Fairbanks]

One of my students recently purchased a pair of 16 e coats from rogue. I was not impressed and if things weren't crazy I would have suggested she send them back. One inch by 1/8 " gash on one horn, and seams on the horns.

I've sent a lot of business rogue's way over the years, and have been very happy with every other product.High expectations.

 

[Timmer C]

One of my students recently purchased a pair of 16 e coats from rogue. I was not impressed and if things weren't crazy I would have suggested she send them back. One inch by 1/8 " gash on one horn, and seams on the horns.

Sorry to hear they had a bad experience with e coats. I received a 32kg e coat from Rogue yesterday and my bell must have had more stringent quality control than the bells received by your student. I haven’t found any imperfections in the horn or the body other than the aesthetics of how the text on the kettlebell giving the weight reading and the branding does not stand out as sharply as it does for my other bells. In a shared gym, this might be a problem when I am trying to retrieve a particular kettlebell weight. However, since I know how I organize my kettlebells in my own place, I will always know which one is the 32kg without having to study the weight reading on the bell.